The Human Element did a fantastic job at illustrating the current human cost of climate change. Whenever I think about the dangerous consequences of climate change, the first thing that comes to mind is always the rising sea levels from all of the glaciers and polar ice melting. Images of cities like Manhattan, Miami, and Houston all submerged several feet underwater come to mind. But when I think about this, I also picture this happening 100+ years in the future, not now. Although there certainly are effects that can be seen today, I primarily think of the long-term effects of climate rather than the immediate short-term ones.
This is the governing motivation behind this film. It clearly showcases the immediate costs of climate change that we are already paying for. From the people living directly on the Virginia coast to the firefighters who are already having to work overtime, to the coal workers who are rapidly losing their jobs, individual people are already bearing the consequences of climate change.